Phoenix and Gryphon the Carousel Horses

Introduction: Phoenix and Gryphon the Carousel Horses

Fun is in the air as the carousel goes round and round. Phoenix and Gryphon are the carousel horses, ready to take you for a spin. Gryphon is the horse with the lavender mane and tail, while Phoenix has a mane and tail of light blue. Climb onto the horse of your choice, grab onto their shiny brass pole, and enjoy the ride!

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Step 1: Bodysuits and Saddles

Materials:

- White Spandex Fabric

- Blue and Purple Felt

- Rhinestones

- Jewels

- Ribbons

- Tassels

- Flowers

We wanted the dogs to have the bodies of a horse, so we thought if they were covered with white body-suits, they would look like white horses. The bodysuits were sewn out of white spandex, which was stretchy and comfortable. They were made with a space underneath for ease when going potty. The saddles that went atop the bodysuit were made from felt, one in blue and one in purple. The saddles were then decorated and embellished with rhinestones, various jewels, ribbons, tassels, and flowers. The saddle were then glued in place with the glue gun onto the body-suit.

Step 2: Carousel Poles

Materials:

- Thick Foam

- Gold Lamé Fabric

- Foam Ball

- Gold Rope Trim

- Foamboard

The most distinctive part of a carousel horse is, of course, the pole. We wanted the poles to be light, but sturdy, and stand up by themselves while the dogs moved around. The poles were made from gold lamé fabric, which was wrapped and sewn around sturdy thick foam. The ball atop the pole was made in the same way, with a foam ball. The poles were then decorated with gold rope trim, which was wrapped around and glued in place, to give the pole more texture. The poles were attached to the saddle by gluing the side of the pole into the top dip of the saddle, and the bottom of the pole onto the white body-suit. A small square was cut out of foamboard and glued underneath the base of the pole to give it more substance when attaching it to the body-suit, so it would stand up.

Step 3: Headpieces With Mane and the Tail

Materials:

- White Fabric

- Purple and Blue Yarn

- Fabric for Bows

The horse headpieces were made from white fabric that fit around the heads, with pointy ears sticking up. They extended down, to leave room for the manes. The manes were made from yarn, purple for one and blue for the other. The yarn was glued in loops into the headpiece, then cut to make even strands. Some yarn was also added to the forehead area, for bangs. The tail was made from yarn in a similar way, onto a base of white fabric, and attached onto the back of the bodysuit. Big bows were made from fabric and glued onto the headpiece and base of the tails, to make it even more decorative.

Step 4: Hooves and Ankle Decorations

Materials:

- Black Denim

- Elastic

- White Fabric

- Ribbons

- Tassel Trim

The hooves were made from black denim. They were made with a hole in the bottom, to allow the dogs to walk comfortably. Elastic straps were sewn in around the back, to hold them in place. The ankle decorations were made from white fabric, with elastic sewn into the top, to hold them in place, with an open bottom. They were decorated with ribbons of different colors and tassel trim.

Step 5: Bridles

Materials:

- Thin Elastic

- Thin Gold Ribbon

- Various Fabrics

The bridles were made by making a circle of thin light elastic to fit lightly around the dogs’ snouts. The elastic was then covered with thin gold ribbon. The ribbon was then extended to go along both sides of the face and around the back of the head, like a horse’s bridle. The bridle was then decorated with small circles cut out of various fabrics.

Step 6: Carousel Background

Materials:

- Canopy Top

- Jewels

- Posterboard

- Yellow Felt

- Blue Ribbon

- Foamboard

- Woodgrain Wrapping Paper

- Blue Felt

We wanted to create an actual carousel type scene for the horses to stand on, so it would look like a real carousel. A canopy top intended for a children’s room was used for the top of the carousel. It was decorated with jewels. The center pole was made out of posterboard, which was covered with yellow felt, and glued into a tube shape. It was then decorated with blue ribbon going around it. The floor of the carousel was made out of foamboard. Three layers of six sheets were glued together and cut into a circle shape. The circle was then covered with woodgrain wrapping paper. The edges were covered with blue felt, and jewels were glued all around it.